SCANSSCANS
5. Increased Career Opportunities
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there will be a ten per- cent shortage of college graduates in the food and agricultural sciences needed to fill positions between now and 2000.
Eight Ways to Open Doors
Here are other activities to give counselors and administrators a better
grasp of the opportunities in agricul- tural education and FFA:
■ Present updates and student suc- cesses at staff or public meetings in cooperation with local alumni.
■ Invite them to join the alumni association and sponsor their mem- bership.
■ Involve counselors or administra- tors in community activities that allow them to have contact with district residents who support the local program.
■ Give each of them a complimenta- ry subscription to the FFA New Horizons magazine.
■ Invite them to a breakfast or FFA chapter banquet where key busi- ness supporters and volunteers present why they support FFA.
■ Invite them on a tour that high- lights student agribusiness, tech- nology or environmental projects.
■ Invite them to a chapter meeting to observe leadership in action.
■ Leave copies of the following publications: The Industry Too Big To Ignore, Open a Promising Future for Students and
Discovering an Agricultural Biotechnology Career. These excellent four-color publications are available at minimal cost and can help graphically explain your points.
Resource materials in this article are available through FFA Distribution Services, (800) 332-2668.
© 2002 by the National FFA Organization and National FFA Alumni Association.
The Agricultural Education Mission
Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.
The FFA Mission
FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career successthrough agricultural education.
The National FFA Organization affirms its belief in the value of all human beings and seeks diversity in its membership, leadership and staff as an equal opportunity employer. This piece was prepared and published the by National FFA Organization in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education as a service to state and local agricultural educa- tion agencies.
Published and prepared in coordination with the National FFA Organization Teacher Services Team and the National FFA Alumni Association.
Sponsored by Monsanto Company as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
How to Recruit
Counselors and Administrators
Where to Go for Help
1. For more information, contact the National FFA Alumni Association at (317) 802-4292. Write: P.O. Box 68960, 6060 FFA Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960.
Visit the alumni homepage at http://www.ffa.org.
2. To purchase a copy of The Volunteer Recruitment Book, contact Energize, Inc. at (800) 395-9800 or search its Web site at http://www.energizeinc.com.
3. Review A Guide To Local Program Success for strategies on how to work with partners such as alumni.
Photo illustration by Gary Staszak/PhotoDisc © 1996;
Canon PhotoEssentials © 1996
4-24
Teachers: You don’t have to do it all yourself. The estimated times below are approximate and show that it doesn’t take a lot of time to start an alumni affiliate. Use this form to establish an alumni affiliate to support your efforts and ensure your program’s survival.
Estimated
Time Task Target Date Completed ✓
5 minutes A. Identify potential members. ____________ ____________
Begin with three to five interested patrons at a nucleus meeting.
10-15 minutes B. Develop a tentative constitution ____________ ____________
and bylaws prior to the meeting.
(Contact the national office for an example.)
28-29 minutes C. Call a nucleus meeting to: ____________ ____________
5 minutes 1. Review the purpose and benefits of a local affiliate and how it will help local FFA members and the program.
3 minutes 2. Discuss the procedure for chartering a local affiliate.
3 minutes 3. Define membership eligibility.
5 minutes 4. Review the suggested FFA Alumni bylaws, constitution and application for local charter.
2-3 minutes 5. Appoint a chairperson to assign duties.
10 minutes 6. Make a list of potential members and divide the responsibility of contacting each prospect between nucleus committee members.
20 minutes D. Publicize an organizational meeting that ____________ ____________
is open to the public, the alumni affiliate and other community members:
10 minutes 1. Write and deliver a news release to the local media and announce meeting date, location and purpose.
5 minutes 2. Have FFA members send handwritten invitations to parents, administrators and community leaders.
5 minutes 3. Nucleus members contact potential members in person or by telephone. Ask people to spread the word to at least five other individuals.
60 minutes E. Conduct the organizational meeting: ____________ ____________
5 minutes 1. Present the purpose of the meeting.
5 minutes 2. Review alumni promotional materials.
10 minutes 3. Invite an FFA alumni state or national council member to assist in presenting the purpose and objectives of the alumni association.
30 minutes 4. Temporary chairperson asks for motion to form affiliate. Then, proceeds to pass constitution and elect officers.
10 minutes 5. Establish local dues and set date for next meeting.
Contact the National FFA Alumni Association, (317) 802-4292, for more details.
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How to Organize a
Local FFA Alumni Affiliate
National FFA Alumni Association
Local Program Suppor Local Program Suppor t t
Grant Application Grant Application
The National FFA Alumni Association is offering grants to local FFA chapters as a means of providing local chapter support. Interested chapters should submit their applications by September 15 to the
National FFA Alumni Association P.O. Box 68960, 6060 FFA Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46268-0960
FFA chapters should consider items needed to strengthen their chapter’s program and/or member support.
The grant may be used for computers, equipment, members supplies, official dress, etc.—any items the chapter feels are needed to enhance the local program.
The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Award winners will be recognized during the annual alumni convention. Thank you for your participation.
Eligibility Requirements
■ FFA chapter must be from a chartered, active state FFA alumni association and the application signed by the state alumni president.
■ FFA chapter must have a nationally chartered, active local FFA alumni affiliate and the application must be signed by the affiliate president.
■ All time lines, applications and signature requirements must be adhered to or the application will not be considered.
Chapter: Chapter Number:
High School: School Phone:
Mailing Address:
Chapter Advisor: Signature:
Chapter President: Signature:
Local Alumni Affiliate:
Local Alumni President: Signature:
State Alumni President: Signature:
Project Name:
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National FFA Alumni Association Grant Proposal Application
Page 2
Project Name:
A. Goals/objectives: (What do you want to accomplish?) 20%
B. Plan of action: (Who, what, when, where, why, how?) 10%
C. Impact: (How will this project make an impact on your members and/or program?) 40%
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National FFA Alumni Association Grant Proposal Application
Page 3
D. Budget: (Indicate expenses, resources, materials and cash needed to complete the project.
Indicate the total amount needed.) 20%
Item # Description of Item Unit Cost Quantity Total Cost
1 $ $
2 $ $
3 $ $
4 $ $
5 $ $
6 $ $
7 $ $
8 $ $
9 $ $
10 $ $
Total Cost of Project $
Below list any other information you feel is vital to your request or which the committee
should consider. 10%
Project Name:
Grant Committee Evaluation
Objectives: / 20%
Plan of Action: / 10%
Impact: / 40%
Budget: / 20%
Other: / 10%
Application Total:
Total Awarded: $
4-28
Below are ideas from teachers across the nation that will help you involve partners in your agricultural education program.
Career Interviews
For more than five years now, community business leaders have interviewed all Ravenna High seniors through a vocational education/English department partnership that allows seniors to learn about writing résumés, letters of application and thank you notes. Students also practice business etiquette and network with potential employers.
In turn, the partnership allows employers to see what future employees are learning and to tap into the future job market early. Kent Zeller says the process has helped many agriculture students obtain part-time jobs.
Kent Zeller, Ravenna High School, Ravenna, Nebraska, (308) 452-3249 or [email protected] Goodwill Projects
Butch Whelchel has enjoyed strong community support because of many projects consisting of repairing or building items at cost for city and community members. Students have repaired broken street sign poles, created trash bins for local businesses and installed playground equipment.
Whelchel tries to make service projects an extension of the classroom. When local administrators asked for students to construct a parking pad for disabled persons, he taught a unit on concrete. To keep the program’s profile high and requests coming in, he publicizes Kensington’s service with ready-made film rolls available through a partnership with local newspapers. “When you do things for others,” he says,
“people are more apt to return the favor or offer support.”
Butch Whelchel, Kensington High School, Kensington, Kansas, (785) 476-2217 or [email protected]
Advisory Board Tours
Jim Miller plans to enlist local advisory board members in interviewing all students for proficiency, scholarship and award programs this year. Besides giving board members a better understanding of how students learn, Miller hopes the new practice will turn them into true advocates of the pro- gram. Members will travel to students’ work sites or farms to inspect their SAEs one Saturday in the spring before the annual banquet. Members will also ask questions of pro- spective competition entrants to determine their standings.
Jim Miller, Crater High School, Central Point, Oregon, (541) 664-7632 or [email protected]
Shadow-Career Day
A shadow-career day involves business owners with Lloyd Vannarsdall’s program and introduces them to potential employees. The experience occurs as part of a unit on careers in the senior sales and marketing course.
Vannarsdall first determines owners’ interest in or accepts student suggestions for shadowing locations. Next, owners receive a letter confirming the intent and expectations of the
experience. Students must obtain approval from other teach- ers and their parents. Finally, Vannarsdall suggests verifying insurance coverage for students who will travel off campus.
Prior to their experiences, students are required to submit a list of potential questions for interviewing their mentors.
Lloyd Vannarsdall, Owen County High School, Owenton, Kentucky, (502) 484-5509
Scholarship Partners
About 10 years ago, Fred Bennett enlisted his advisory committee to solicit funds for a scholarship program. Due to the efforts of one influential farmer on the committee, the program raised $40,000 in seed money from which the interest provides $3,000 worth of scholarships annually.
The effort brought bankers, a state senator, area farmers and other business leaders together in support of the program.
The scholarship program, which is listed as a non-profit entity in Arizona, draws attention to students’ SAE, FFA and academic achievements, which serve as application evaluation criteria. Bennett uses a contributors’ plaque to reinforce to freshmen how much the community supports the program and looks to them for their leadership.
Fred Bennett, Tolleson Union High School, Tolleson, Arizona, (602) 936-1276
Scholarship Foundation
In 1990, the Carthage FFA Chapter worked with local FFA Alumni to establish scholarships supported by individ- uals and businesses. Members patterned the foundation directly after the National FFA Foundation located in Indianapolis, Indiana. A general solicitation letter is sent annually to potential and existing FFA supporters, who have the option of supporting the scholarship foundation at several different funding levels. The foundation board, agri- culture teachers, alumni and chapter officers conduct visits to donors’ work sites. The foundation’s success is evident.
Last year alone, supporters gave more than $15,000 in dona- tions for five post-secondary and ten $250 Washington Leadership Conference scholarships. A scholarship commit- tee, comprised of a cross-section of supporters, selects top- ics for agricultural essays submitted by applicants. Essays must be 500 words and cover a career-oriented topic.
Eddie Stephens, Greg Wolf, John Dillard and Chris Cloud, Carthage Technical, Carthage, Missouri, (417) 359-7025 Student Advisory Council Members
In addition to its adult members, the 16-member Harlan Agricultural Advisory Council consists of eight students (two from each grade level). Harlan agriculture teachers select two freshmen annually to serve on the council for a total of four years. During that time, they attend two coun- cil meetings annually and express their views on the needs of the agriculture program and its curriculum. The practice allows students to gain ownership in the curriculum.
Teachers have created five new courses as a result of input from student members on the council.
Daniel J. Leinen, Harlan Community Schools, Harlan, Iowa, (712) 755-3101 or [email protected]
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Convention Outreach Ideas
For the past seven years, the Scott County FFA Chapter and Alumni affiliate have used the national FFA convention as a recruitment tool for potential partners. Members offer these tips and ideas on how to heighten awareness and build support for your local program among key partners:
principals, administrators, school board members, middle and high school counselors, non-agriculture teachers, superintendents and community leaders.
1. Plan fund-raising events early to raise money to send partners to the national convention. (Scott County alumni hold an annual fund-raiser near convention time to provide additional motivation, so students and alumni members see the immediate results of their efforts.)
2. Invite key partners early (by the end of the school year prior to convention), because their schedules are usually arranged weeks or months in advance. By doing so, you will have an accurate idea of how much money to budget and raise to send partners to the convention.
3. Offer to arrange and cover the costs of transportation to and from the convention.
4. Cover the lodging costs for partners attending the conven- tion and offer to cover any out-of-pocket expenses like food.
5. Invite partners to interact with FFA and alumni members by having them lodge near you in Louisville and including them in on all your activities.
6. Use the trip to educate partners on the impact the FFA and alumni have on young people. Be sure to emphasize that the FFA convention is the largest youth convention in the nation. Here are some activities and events for partners to gain first-hand experience of the FFA:
• School Officials Luncheon
• FFA National Agricultural Career Show (Local alumni invited their administrator to work in the state booth.)
• FFA Alumni Convention and Auction (where partners can learn what other communities are doing to support agricultural education programs locally)
• Convention sessions that highlight famous speakers and during which your chapter receives awards.
7. Give partners a true perspective of convention by showing them last year’s program or the Advisor’s Planning Guide. Emphasize the benefits of attending. For legislators, for example, point out how many students from their district will be attending the convention.
8. Determine which partners were past FFA members who never attended a national convention and be sure to invite them.
9. Invite school administrators, principals, board members and counselors to go with you to the convention for a day, especially if your school is located closer to Louisville.
10. Construct a window display at a local bank or store to highlight your chapter’s involvement at the state and national conventions. (Scott County members received positive community comments and built awareness of their program in this way.)
Brenda Oldfield, Scott County High School, Georgetown, Kentucky, (502) 863-2056; and Charlie Hamilton, Scott County FFA Alumni affiliate, (502) 857-4757
Alumni Scholarships
Since its formation several years ago, the Van FFA Alumni affiliate and the local teacher, Len Moore, have used an annual pickup truck raffle to raise thousands of dollars for scholarships and FFA activities. Three hundred tickets are distributed to community residents who donate $100 each.
The last ticket drawn at the annual livestock show wins the truck; local businesses also donate several other prizes.
Moore shares program goals and information on potential needs with alumni members, who annually present three
$1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors and also support FFA activities. Over the last four years, this program has helped 17 FFA members attend eight different colleges.
Len Moore, Van High School, Van, Texas, (903) 963-8623 or [email protected]
Using Field Experts
Jan Hildebrandt involves key business and community partners in the Eau Claire Memorial agriculture program.
Speakers discuss the type of education, job requirements, hiring practices and benefits that relate to their career fields.
More frequently, they assist with instruction in the more technical small animal science, veterinarian science and aquaculture courses. They discuss specialized topics such as bovine reproduction or companion animal respiration, validating to students that what they learn in class has a real-world connection. These field experts also comprise an informal support network on which Hildebrandt can rely for technical instruction. That is why she tires to invite one speaker to every course at least once a semester. The list of guest speakers includes the manager of a major pet store, a veterinarian and a local tech-school bovine instructor.
Jan Hildebrandt, Eau Claire Memorial High School, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, (715) 839-1500 or [email protected]
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Recruit Alumni Support Year Round
Scott County FFA Alumni and teachers are regularly conducting activities designed to increase their base of sup- port. They hold a kick-off dinner in September where more than 100 parents, supporters and students hear about the benefits of alumni membership and the FFA. To add prestige to membership, the alumni affiliate offers tangible benefits such as sweatshirts, T-shirts and a directory to active mem- bers. Each month, Scott County alumni chaperone local FFA chapter recreational activities such as trail rides, skiing or a cookout. These activities build camaraderie between alumni and students, release stress and position the alumni and FFA organizations to non-members as a “fun” place to be.
Brenda Oldfield, Scott County High School, Georgetown, Kentucky, (502) 863-4131
Homeless Shelter Donations
The Lake Forest FFA generates goodwill through collect- ing canned food for a homeless shelter. About 150 items of canned food are collected twice a year from boxes located throughout the high school and in classrooms. In addition, teacher Mark Breeding donates excess boxes of citrus from the chapter fruit sale to the shelter as well. Through this simple project, parents, students and FFA members assist those in need and build community awareness of the local FFA chapter and agriscience program. Community partners are more apt to contribute to the FFA chapter because they know that members and Breeding are concerned neighbors.
Mark Breeding, Lake Forest High School, Felton, Delaware, (302) 284-3434
Environmental Partnerships Provide Project Model Piney Woods officials have developed partnerships with environmental organizations, including state and federal agencies, in the operation of a methane gas collection system from the school’s swine operation—the first of its kind in Mississippi. Director Billy Sumrall attended various agricultural and environmental meetings where he made contacts leading to grant proposals for this well-planned student research project. The private school, founded in 1909, has hosted state legislators, private industry and international visitors hoping to benefit from the system’s technology. For students, it may mean international travel and scholarships. Sumrall continues to search journals and publications for key issues to foster other partnerships to fund student projects.
Billy W. Sumrall, Piney Woods School, Piney Woods, Mississippi, (601) 845-2214, ext. 271 or [email protected]
Agricultural Awareness Day
The Grassland FFA conducts an Agricultural Awareness Day and enlists the help of FFA members, alumni, commu- nity supporters and local agency personnel. This year’s event helped 300 elementary students, their parents and district teachers to understand agriculture’s diversity, recruit potential students and build relationships to enhance the program. Elementary students experienced agriculture while interacting at 13 different stations, ranging from a safety demonstration to a petting zoo to a mini envi- rothon. Stations were manned by FFA members and partners from area agriculturally related services.
Robert Lauffer, Garden Spot High School, New Holland, Pennsylvania, (717) 354-1577 or [email protected] Enlisting Recent Graduates for Support
Joel Lemer has found that former students make some of the most active FFA Alumni members and often are looking for opportunities to remain active after graduation. He says they make great coaches or supervisors for other activities that require a direct knowledge of FFA. Nearly 50 percent of the Carrington FFA Alumni membership consists of recent graduates. How does Carrington do it? First, recruiters per- sonally invite graduates who have been active in the FFA to join. Next, they follow up with a letter, which emphasizes the social aspects of joining the alumni and how graduates can still make contributions via the organization.
Joel Lemer, Carrington High School, Carrington, North Dakota, (701) 652-3136
Chamber of Commerce Outreach
About seven years ago, Hillsboro, Ore., FFA officers began a partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce agriculture/forestry committee that has provided many opportunities for FFA members. In the process of starting a new alumni affiliate at that time, the advisor and officers attended committee meetings to present information on FFA activities. The presentations convinced Chamber members to support the chapter. In building the partnership, advisor John Stables and Hillsboro FFA members continued to attend meetings, then volunteered for Chamber activities. In time, the committee changed its focus and mission to support the local program. It began to provide financial assistance with over $7,000 to date going to computer donations for the chapter, the building of a new campus greenhouse, FFA jack- ets for first-year members and student supervised agricultur- al experience loans. Cooperative ventures with the Chamber opened many doors in the community, including work with the Hillsboro Downtown Business Association. The chapter initially provided 135 large flower baskets for city streets.
This annual fundraiser enhanced the visibility of the horti- culture program. This partnership has created a valuable resource network for Stables, who has utilized chamber members as judges for local career development events.
John Stables, Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, Oregon, (503) 648-8561 or [email protected]
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